Just over one year ago, the Blackhawks officially embarked on a scorched-earth rebuild when they traded All-Star Alex DeBrincat to the Ottawa Senators.
DeBrincat had led Chicago the previous season in goals scored with 41, and tallied 78 points in 82 games. He played in the All-Star Game and was a consistent goal scorer at 24 years old.
The problem: DeBrincat’s contract had already become far too inflated for a Blackhawks team that set out to tear the entire roster down and start anew. In 2019, he signed a three-year deal worth $19.4 million ($6.4 million AAV) that began at the start of the 2020 season. After two years with the contract, the Blackhawks moved on from their star scorer, shipping him to Ottawa in exchange for Ottawa's first and second-round picks in the 2022 draft (Nos. 7 and 39) and a third-round pick in the 2024 draft.
Fast forward one year. DeBrincat is coming off a solid year with the Senators, scoring 66 points in 82 games on the second line. With his contract set to expire this summer, DeBrincat refused to sign with Ottawa, but his camp held up a trade for a significant portion of the offseason in a GM’s nightmare. Eventually, they were able to trade him to the Red Wings Sunday night in exchange for Dominik Kubalik, Donovan Sebrango, a conditional 1st round pick next year, and a third-rounder next year.
Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun Times put the trade in perspective compared to what the Blackhawks got in return for him a year ago:
Translation: GM Kyle Davidson and his staff picked the perfect time to get rid of DeBrincat. When they traded him, they got Kevin Korchinski, who could be headed to the NHL this year as one of the team’s top prospects, as well as Paul Ludwinski, who’s had a few solid seasons with the Kingston Frontenacs in the OHL, and should get his shot in the NHL sometime in the next few years. Couple that with a third-rounder next year that could be developed into a viable prospect, and the package, along with offloading $6.4 million, put the Blackhawks in a great position to get back into contention in the next few years.
Additionally, the trade had hidden benefits for the Blackhawks. DeBrincat is an elite goal scorer, and could have accounted for several wins this past season. Without him, however, the Blackhawks were able to sink to the bottom of the standings and land Connor Bedard, the crown jewel of their rebuilt roster.
Meanwhile, after a year where the Senators missed out on the playoffs and finished fifth in the wild card standings, DeBrincat’s time in Ottawa is over. The value the Senators got in return from Detroit wasn’t insignificant, but it clearly wasn’t the same as what Chicago received. The Senators got a year of play with DeBrincat that was worth a middle-of-the-pack finish in the standings - the Blackhawks got a year of play without him that was worth Bedard.
